Perspectives

Question 1

Five Criteria for Critical Understanding of a theory

Answer 1

1. Coherence and conceptual clarity
2. Testability and empirical support
3. Comprehensiveness
4. Consistency with social work’s emphasis on diversity and power arrangements
5. Usefulness for social work practice

Question 2

Systems perspective sees human behavior as outcome of…

Answer 2

interactions within and among systems of interrelated parts.

Question 3

What was the dominant systems theoretical perspective of the 1960’s and 1970’s?

Answer 3

General Systems Theory
based on the work of biologist Ludwig von Bertalanffy
He proposed that any element is best understood byh considering it’s interactions with its consitutent parts as well as its interactions with larger systems of which it is a part.

Question 4

Difference between a closed system and an open system

Answer 4

Closed system is isolated from other systems in the environment.
(EG socially and geographically isolated families and communities.)
Open system is in constant interaction with other systems.
(EG Internet based social net works.)

Question 5

In the 1980’s the _________ became a popular systems theory

Answer 5

Ecological or Ecosystems

Question 6

The ecological perspective extended the general systems theory by considering the important role of _____________ on human behavior.

Answer 6

Physical environments

Question 7

Autopoietic means

Answer 7

self-created and reproduced

Question 8

In systems theory, boundaries indicate

Answer 8

Who is in and who is out.

Question 9

Feedback mechanisms are

Answer 9

processes that use the conditions of one component to regulate the function of another or by which outputs of the system are fed back as unputs in a circular manner.

Question 10

A holistic view in systems theory means

Answer 10

considering the multiple environmental influences involved.

Question 11

What did bioecological perspective add to ecological perspective?

Answer 11

More attention to medical factors

Question 12

Risk and resilience theory is

Answer 12

an extension of ecological perspective that proposes risk factors and protective factors in both the person and the environment.

Question 13

Globalization theory

Answer 13

emerged in reaction against the Western bias of earlier theories. Calls attention to cultural imperialism.

Question 14

Fuzzy set theory

Answer 14

Membership in a grou pis not binary - meaning you’re either a member or you’re not. Objects are assigned a number from 0 to 1 to indicate the degree of belonging.

Question 15

Deep ecology

Answer 15

focuses on total interconnectedness of all elements of the natural and physical world.

Question 16

Conflict Theory

Answer 16

emphasizes conflicts that arise because of inequalities in the distribution of resources. Looks for sources of conflict in the economic and political arenas, and more recently in the cultural arena.

Question 17

Conflict theory is based on Marx’s ideas about

Answer 17

capitalism. Economic system divided into capitalists and workers. Creates false conciousness where neither capitalists nor workers recognize the eploitation. Workers can eventually see the exploitation- achieving class conciousness.

Question 18

In development of conflict theory, Weber came after Marx and favored a more

Answer 18

multidimensional approach. Our lives become dominated by the culture industry which is controlled by mass media.

Question 19

Conflict theory George Ritzer suggest we have entered a new form of capitalism called

Answer 19

prosumer capitalism, where lines between the production and consumption are blurred (self check out at stores, producing facebook content)

Question 20

Wallerstein (conflict theory) divides the world into 3 classes of countries:

Answer 20

core (dominates economy), periphery (cheap material and labor, exploited by rest of world), semiperiphery (newly industrializing)

Question 21

Postcolonial theory

Answer 21

focuses on ongoing impact of colonialism of 18th and 19th centuries.

Question 22

Critical Race Theory

Answer 22

developed by legal scholars in the US to draw attention to racial oppression in the law and society. (conflict theory)

Question 23

Microaggressions

Answer 23

Brief, everyday exchanges that send denigrating messages and insults to POC or minorities.

Question 24

Feminist theories

Answer 24

focus on male domination of the major social institution and present vision of a just world based on gender equity (conflict theory)

Question 25

Social workers have used ______ perspective as a base to develop practice oriented empowerment theories.

Answer 25

Conflict

Question 26

intersectionality

Answer 26

individuals have overlapping memberships in a variety of status groups

Question 27

Which perspective is the best at helping us look at group based patterns of inequality?

Answer 27

Conflict perspective

Question 28

Exchange and choice perspective

Answer 28

Focus on the processes whereby individual and collective actors seek and exchange resources and the choices made in pursuit of those resources

Question 29

Exchange of resources is the core process of life. Which perspective is this?

Answer 29

Exchange and Choice perspective

Question 30

Social Constructionist Perspective

Answer 30

People construct meaning, a sense of self, and a social world through their interactions with each other.

Question 31

Difference between social exchange theory and social constructionist

Answer 31

Social exchange is focused on social interaction as an exchange of resources. Social constructions focus on social interaction as a way to product meaning.